


Wanting, needing

by Shikku



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Hogwarts, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-27
Updated: 2011-12-27
Packaged: 2017-10-28 06:35:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/304805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shikku/pseuds/Shikku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On good days Harry actually feels hope.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wanting, needing

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first HP fic ever and I want it to be noted that I have never read the books, seen only one film and have played three games, so if anything doesn't make sense, point it out.
> 
> Written for the "coma" square on my hc_bingo card

They say Snape is in a coma.

They say it is because of Nagini's bite. They say it is because of the severed magical link with Voldemort. they say it is because he hit his head when he fell. They say it is because of the blood loss.

They say a bunch of things.

Harry doesn't much care about the cause of the coma, he just wants them to fix it, so he leaves the matter of arguing with the healers to Hermione. She's the one with the brains and the will for it.

Harry focuses on Snape, lying on his back in a narrow, uncomfortable bed. His once pale skin is now almost translucent and sometimes Harry spends hours tracing the clearly visible blood vessels with his eyes until he feels he has them memorized. He reads to Snape until his throat is near bleeding; Muggle books, potions books, the blasted Daily Prophet. Anything Hermione brings him.

There is another bed in the room and Ron is the one who makes him use it every day when he comes over bringing one of his mum's meals, taking over watching Snape for a couple of hours.

Harry tried apologizing to Ron and Hermione for the first month about them still having to take care of him until Ron told him to shut it cause that's waht friends are for and Hermione hit him with a book before hugging him and saying "Don't be daft, we're your friends."

*

There are good days and there are bad days, though Harry can't decide if they aer his or Snape's.

On bad days Snape's breathing gets erratic, his skin get a slightly greenish hue and his eyes are constantly twitching, like he's stuck in a nightmare. On bad days there are healers everywhere and Harry can barely see Snape's pale figure on the bed, let alone read to him or memorize the lines of his face. On bad days Harry sits on his bed and stares at the healers, biting his fingernails because there is absolutely nothing else he can do. Sometimes Ron and Hermione are there, silent guards at his sides and it helps to know they are there with him even though they don't understand him. It. The want, the need to see Snape get better.

It's pure selfishness on Harry's part; he's lost too many people that were important to him and even though Snape wasn't - isn't - the nicest person ever and Harry spent most of his time at Hogwarts hating him, Snape is the one who deserves to outlive Voldemort the most. There are other reasons, Harry is aware of those, but he refuses to think about them until Snape is awake and well.

On good days, which are in majority lately, there is nobody in the room but Harry and Snape. On good days Snape's cheeks are a bit pink and he looks as if he is just taking a nap and will wake any minute now. On good days Harry can almost see the fingers of Snape's left hand moving, reaching for him. On good days Harry eats and talks to Snape about Quidditch, potions, a pretty bird that just flew by.

On good days Harry actually feels hope.

*

Harry had started the ritual of combing Snape's hair completely by accident. He woke up from his nap in time to see one of the nurses roughly pulling the comb through freshly washed hair, wincing in sympathy when she pulled on one of the knots. He quickly dismissed her and did it himself, paying close attention not to pull too hard and hurt Snape. He's been doing it ever since.

It is near seven months that Harry has lived in this room with Snape and he is in the middle of brushing out Snape's hair, sitting on the side of the bed when things change.

Snape opens his eyes. For a moment or two they are unfocused and confused, but then Harry is caught in that near black gaze as surely as his hands in Snape's hair. Harry knows he should get the healers and he will. In a minute. For now he just stares back and smiles in relief so sharp he could cry.

"Took you long enough professor."


End file.
